Cork-cutting machine.



G G F. R G Am & E R Y T L 0 om L9 I I MG u A GD NE IL H T UN m T A C n CP P A Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET] 1. TYRIE & A. GREGG.

CORK CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. 19m.

- 1,300,305 Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

3 SHEETFSHEET 2.

J. TYRIE & A. GREGG. CORK CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. 191B.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

lllll-l.

JAMES TYRIE AND ARTHUR GREGG, 0F BELFAST, IRELAND.

CORK-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed August 1, 1918. Serial No. 247,726.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMEs TYRIE and ARTHUR GREGG, both subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Belfast, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cork-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting corks for bottles and-the like to uniform lengths or for what is known in the trade as docking corks.

In a cork docking machine of the class in which the corks are delivered to the machine from a receptacle, through a supply tube or equivalent, we provide, under our invention, an adjustable support for the cork whereby the amount to be docked oif the cork can be easily regulated, and we also provide means adapted to seize the cork after it has been deliveredon to the adjustable support and, during the cutting operation, to hold the cork at the same level as when on the support but clear of same so that when the cork has been docked and released it will fall clear of the machine. We also provide means adapted to hold up in the supply tube the cork next in succession to the one delivered to the machine so that the corks in the supply tube are held in proper position when the support of the bottom cork is withdrawn. In order to prevent the destruction of the corks, due to unevenness in length we also preferably provide means adapted to hold in position in the supply tube the cork next in succession to the one delivered to the machine, said means acting in cooperation with the means for supporting the cork immediately below so as to insure that the supporting means for the un der cork will'be in position and will, remain in position to support the. corks until the means for holding the cork above has come into operation. Y

In order that our invention may be clearly understood we will describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings which show an examplefof a two knife machine made and operated in accordance with our invention. a

Figure l is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig.2 isa'plan view with the hopper removed to show the clamping devices.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional side elevation of the cork holding and cutting end of the machine and showing the clamp bar ready to move forward to engage the cork which is shown sitting on the adjustable support.

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but with the clamp bar'engaging the cork against the holding block which has also been moved forward to the limit 'of its forward movement, and clear of the adjustable support.

F Fig. 5 is a plan View corresponding to 6 is a plan view corresponding to Referring to the drawings The machine, in accordance with our invention, and as shown in the drawings, comprises two cutting knives a or other cutting devices, fitted on a carriage a slidable on rodsa and reciprocated by hand mechanism as shown, or, by power if desired. The knives a operate below tubes or equivalent, each adapted to guide or carry the corks from a hopper or other receptacle 6, and to present them one at a time, to the cutting knife. The corks are delivered from the supply tubes 6 on to adjustable supports '0 whereby they may be set at the required level relatively to the cutting knives a? so that the latter will cut the desired portion off each cork delivered on to said supports 0. Each cork, delivered on to .a support a, is held during the cutting operation, and until ready for discharge, by a clamping device, or holder, consisting of a slidably supported holder block 03 preferably acted on by springs h to prevent it being too freely moved, and shaped to embrace one side of the cork and adapted to cooperate with a suitably shaped and slidably supported clamp bar d adapted to embrace the other side of the cork and which is carried by and moves with but is free to slide in the knife carrier or knife carriage a. The knife carriage.

a and clamp bar d movejforward together until the end d v of theclamp bar cl engages the cork 1 and-causes it to be held between the end d of the clamp bar d and the holder block al During. this forward movement of the clamp bar 03 the cork 2, immediately above the cork 1, is released from the holding pin 9 and is supported by the rod (Z un til cork 1 has been docked and the clamp bar d is again moved back to such extent as to take the supportingrod al from under the cork 2 which will then fall on to the adjustable support 0, but before this happens the pin 9 will have entered the hole 6 in thetube b and will hold up the cork 3 until the next forward movement. The clamp bar d then moves forward with thelmife carriage at until the holder block (Z1 is stopped against the spring 6. The knife carriage a continues its forward movement and the clamp bar (Z is placed under the action of springs Z connected at one end with the bars d through rods d5 and at their other ends with the carriage a so that, as the carriage moves forward, the springs exert a pull on the clamp bars d and cause them to hold the cork very firmly as the knife a in its continued forward movement, cuts the cork.

When the cutting operation is completed the knife carriage a is moved backward and the part (Z3 of the block (if enables the latter to be pulled back by the slide cl to its initial position and during its backward movement the clamp bar d releases the docked cork which, having been carried forward so as to be clear of the support 0 now falls down to the floor or into a suitable'receptacle. The backward movement also releases the next cork 2 in the tube from the rod 03 so that it is free to fall on to the adjustable support a ready for the next cutting movement of the knife.

During the forward movement of the cork and before it is cut, it is preferably caused to come into contact with and to lift or tilt and pass under a suitably supported flap is or the like capable of tilting only in the direction of the arrow m so that during the backward movement of the knife a the flap is prevents the cut piece of cork thereon from moving back with the knife and fouling or being in the way of the next cutting operation.

In order to avoid the destruction of corks, due to any uneven length, it is essential that the bottom cork in the tube 6 should be supported until the cork above it has been engaged by the pin 9, as above described, and,

for this purpose, the supporting rod d is so attached to and adapted to move with the clamp d that it moves into position below the bottom cork and remains in this position until the cork above has been engaged by the pin g'so that it may be held thereby when the support of the under cork is with drawn.

Any desired number of supply tubes 6 and knives it? can be operated together and in one machine so as to simultaneously cut a plurality of corks at each forward movement of the knife carriage.

m is an agitator in the hopper 6.

Having now fully described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corks being operated on, reciprocable cutting means 1n the framework, means for conducting the corks from the receptacle and for controlling their delivery to the cutting means, an adjustable support for the corks when same are delivered to the cutting means, and means for holding the cork during the cutting operation.

2. A cork docking machine comprising 'a framework, a, receptacle for the corks being operated on, reciprocable cutting means in the framework, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle to the cutting means, means whereby the cork neXt in succession to the one delivered to the cutting means is held clear of same and subsequently automatically delivered thereto, an adjustable support for the corks when same are de livered to the cutting means, and means for holding the cork during the cutting operation. r

3. A cork docking machine comprisinga framework, a receptacle for the corks being operated on, a reciprocable knife carriage in the framework, knives fitted to the knife carriage, a supply tube 'for'conducting the corks from the receptacle and" presenting them one at a time'to the knives, an adjustable screwed support for the corks fitted in the framework, and slidably supported clamping means for holding the corks during the cutting operation.

4. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corksbeing operated on, a knife carriage in the framework, cutting knives fitted to the knife carriage, crank mechanism in the framework for reciprocatin the knife carriage, means for conducting the corks from the receptacle to the cutting knives, an adjustable support for the corks when same are delivered to the cutting knives, a 'slidably supported holder block embracing one side of the cork, a clamp bar cooperating with the holder block and embracing the other'side of the cork and carried by and free to slide in the knife carriage for holding the corks during the cutting operation.

5. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corksbeing operated on, a knife carriage in theframe work, cutting knives fitted to the knife carriage, crank mechanism in the framework for reciprocating the knife carriage, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle and presenting them'oneat' a time to the knives, an adjustable support for the corks when same are delivered to the fqlll'ltlllg; knives, a slidably supported holder block embracing one side ofthe cork, a clamp bar cooperating with the holder block and em bracing the other side of the cork and can ried by and free to slide in the knife carriage for holding the corks during the cutting operation. 7

6. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corks being operated on, a reciprocable knife carriage in the framework, knives fitted to the knife carriage, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle and presenting them one at a time to the knives, an adjustable support for the corks fitted in the framework, slidably supported clamping means for holding the corks during the cutting operation, a holding pin fitted in connection with the clamping means for holding the cork next in succession in the supply tube and delivering same to the cutting knives.

7. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corks being operated on, a reciprocable knife carriage in the framework, knives fitted to the knife carriage, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle and presenting them one at a time to the knives, an adjustable support for the corks fitted in the framework, slidably supported clamping means for holding the corks during the cutting operation, a rod fitted in connection with the clamping means for holding the cork next in succession in the supply tube and delivering same to the cutting knives.

8. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle, for the corks being operated on, a reciprocable knife carriage in the framework, knives fitted to the knife carriage, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle and presenting them one at a time to the knives, an adjustable support for the corks fitted in the framework, slidably supported clampin means for holding the corks during the cutting operation, a holding pin and a rod fitted in connection with the clamping means for Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing holding the cork next in succession in the supply tube and delivering same to the cutting knives.

9. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corks being operated on, a reciprocable knife carriage in the framework, knives fitted to the knife carriage, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle and presenting them one at a time to the knives, an adjustable support for the corks fitted in the framework, slidably supported clamping means for holding the corks during the cutting operation, and means for preventing the cut-off portion of the cork from moving back with the knives'after the cutting opera tion is performed.

10. A cork docking machine comprising a framework, a receptacle for the corks being operated on, a reciprocable knife carriage in the framework, knives fitted to the knife carriage, a supply tube for conducting the corks from the receptacle and presenting them one at a time to the knives, an adjustable support for the corks fitted in the framework, slidably supported clamping means for holding the corks during the cutting operation and a pivoted flap fitted to the machine and operated by the forward movement of the cork before the cutting operation is performed.

.ln testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES TYRIE. ARTHUR GREGG.

Witnesses:

ANDREW HAMILTON, JOHN KNOX.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

